Does the Catholic Church teach that one's soul goes
immediately to heaven or hell or purgatory upon the
death of the body?
If the answer is yes
Why do we need to be judged again by Jesus Christ when he
returns at the end of time?
I am a Catholic
All the best
Henry Wickham

Answer by Richard Geraghty on 1/17/2014:

Dear Henry,

The General Judgment fits into the picture because it will be then that the whole world will
see the love, mercy and justice of God. In this life God has allowed his mercy and justice to
be questioned and disputed. In the next life God will show everyone, even the damned, how
right he was. The damned will still hate God. But they will never be able to argue that God is
unmerciful and unjust.